Wednesday, March 21, 2007

This week’s Face of Rural Action is a former VISTA who is now a staff member at Rural Action, Elise George. Elise was recently hired as the Sustainable Forestry Coordinator at Rural Action. This position, combined with her earlier VISTA experience, gives her more than three years’ experience with Rural Action.

Originally from Akron, OH, Elise earned a Bachelor's degree from Ohio University in Environmental Studies and a minor in Plant Biology in 2002. She also completed two internships in sustainable agriculture. At Plant It Herbs, a Chinese and Ohio Medicinal Herb Nursery and Research Facility, she furthered her study of medicinal herbs, which she had begun through class work.

In her role as an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer, Elise coordinated event planning, membership development, as well as board and committee work with The Roots of Appalachia Growers Association. Her work with Rural Action has also included coordinating events with non-timber forest product researchers and growers and serving as volunteer coordinator for the Landowners Conference.